Christina's Tapestry (15 page)

It had drawn her here and now it was drawing her home.

As if there was a string attached to her, the tapestry pulled her towards it. She didn’t fight it, but moved towards it.

The time had come. Her destiny was at hand.

She couldn’t think with Marc and Jarek so close. She eyed the small bathing chamber, but a closed door was no guarantee of privacy. Both men had proven that fact when they’d interrupted her bath. The memory brought a sad smile to her face. No, she couldn’t stay here.

Rolling up the tapestry, she tucked it under her arm and crept from the room. She held her breath as the door made a light creak when she opened it. Closing it carefully behind her, she climbed the steps to the battlements.

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Chapter Fourteen

The wind whipped her hair in her face as she pushed through the door and made her way out onto the battlements. She pushed it out of her eyes and padded across the cold stone to the edge of the wall. Unrolling the tapestry, she gazed down at it. In the moonlight, it seemed to glow, its picture eerily alive.

The longer she stared it, the more the image seemed to fade. Before her very eyes, the warriors began to blur and the castle seemed to disappear into the dark forest surrounding it.

Christina tore her gaze away and stared blindly out over the night. She could make out the shape of the land, but little else. It was so dark here, not like the city nights at home where there was always light. The quiet was almost unnerving to someone so used to traffic and noise. She didn’t really understand this world. It was so primitive. A shiver raced down her spine and goose bumps appeared on her arms as she remembered the challenge between Jarek and Zaren. They would have killed one another, but yet, when the fight was over, both of them acted like it had never happened. When it was over, it was over. Honor and law had been satisfied. That’s not how things worked in her world.

There were no stores or modern conveniences here. She already missed chocolate and movies and music. There were no medical facilities and no place to buy tampons. As barren as her old life seemed, it was hers and she understood it. She would be giving up a lot if she stayed.

And she really didn’t fit in here. What would she do here if she stayed? Yes, she’d seen a lot that interested her, from the weaving that the women did to the soap-and perfume-making, but that was very far removed from her secretarial job. Her 113

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organizational skills would come in handy, but from what she’d observed, Mara ran the entire castle efficiently and well.

Then there was Jarek and Marc. Yes, her time with them had been amazing, but could she believe that their infatuation with her would last? They’d only known each other for three days. She shook her head in disbelief. It seemed impossible that such a short time had passed. It seemed as if she’d been here for much longer. Her life had changed drastically in that small amount of time.

Christina bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself. She felt very cold and alone and wished she was still in bed, surrounded by Jarek and Marc’s warmth. The light from the tapestry was growing brighter now and she knew that her time had run out. The picture seemed to be changing and transforming before her very eyes and a different scene started to appear.

Although she was alone, she could hear a woman whispering. It seemed to drift on the very wind. Tilting her head to one side, she listened hard and was shocked when she recognized it as the voice of the old lady from the shop. The one who had sold her the tapestry.

As her words sunk in, Christina suddenly knew that if she didn’t make a decision before the new image appeared, the tapestry would make it for her. As three blurry male images began to appear, she picked up the fabric and held it close to her body. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and made her decision.

Jarek awoke with a yell and flung himself from the bed. He’d had a nightmare as he’d slept, dreaming that Christina was drifting further away from him until she was out of his sight. He searched for her in vain through the dark and cold but could not find her, even though he could hear her voice calling to him. His chest heaved as he sucked air into his lungs, trying to calm his pounding heart. Marc’s cry of pain had him whirling around, battle-ready to meet whatever foe was there.

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But there was no one there.

The enormity of that struck him like a fist to the heart and he staggered back to the bed and flung back the covers. “No.” His voice was no more than a hoarse whisper. He would not accept this.

“She is gone.” Marc reached out and touched the empty space beside him.

“No.” Jarek stormed to the bathing chamber and flung open the door, certain he’d find her there. The empty room shook him to his soul.

How could she have left without them knowing it? Both he and Marc were warriors, trained to awaken at the slightest sound or movement. His hands fisted at his sides. “The tapestry.” He hadn’t realized he’d spoken aloud until Marc’s voice reached him.

“What about the tapestry?” Marc was standing behind him, looking as lost as Jarek was sure he was.

“Its magic must have kept us asleep so that we could not influence Christina’s choice.”

Marc rubbed his hand over his face, wiping away a lone tear that fell down his cheek. “We missed our chance to influence her. We should have begged and pleaded with her to stay instead of backing off and allowing her a choice.” Anger tinged his next reckless words. “I should never have listened to you.”

“Perhaps not, but would you have wanted her if she hadn’t really wanted to stay?”

Jarek found cold comfort in his own reasoning.

“Yes.” Marc’s sorrow evaporated as anger filled his face. “Yes. Even if she had been your wife. Yes. Even if she hadn’t really wanted to stay at first. We could have made her love this place, and us but we didn’t give her the chance. Instead, we practically opened the door and told her to leave.”

Jarek did not flinch in the face of his brother’s rage because he was beginning to get a sinking feeling in his gut that his brother was right. 115

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“She would have chosen you,” Marc spat out.

He moved so quickly and Jarek was so distracted, he didn’t see the fist until it hit him in the side of the face. He staggered backwards, but did not retaliate. His brother was simply expressing the pain and hopelessness that they were both feeling. Marc’s chest was heaving with anger as he moved towards his brother. “But I didn’t care because that meant that I could have her too, even if it was only one night a week. We could have had sons between us.” His voice broke, and he stopped and looked at Jared with all the pain he felt shining in his eyes. “Sons and, if we were extremely blessed, a daughter. A little girl who looked just like Christina.” Marc fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

Jarek staggered to the table and sat down hard on one of the chairs. Pictures of six dark-haired boys and one blonde, impish-looking little girl flashed across his brain, imprinting themselves there. Each child was different. Some looked more like him and one was definitely Marc’s, but the girl child was all Christina. And he had lost them all. Let them all go.

An inhuman cry of pain was torn from his throat as he surged from his seat. Picking up the table in his bare hands, he flung it against the wall. It splintered into several smaller pieces and fell to the floor. Both chairs were next. And then the bench seat. The seat that Christina had loved to sit on and gaze out the window. He stalked towards the bed, stopping long enough to pick up his sword. He’d hack the damn thing to bits. He hadn’t deserved her. Hadn’t fought hard enough for her. Her scent wafted up from the bed, taunting him with what he had lost. Raising his arms high, he started to bring the sword down, but another pair of hands wrapped around the sword hilt and fought him for control.

He growled in rage, and fought like a man possessed. Getting control of the weapon, he whirled on his attacker and almost cleaved his brother in half. Marc didn’t even try to defend himself, but stood there as if silently asking Jarek to end his misery. 116

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Jarek shuddered, his rage leaving him as he realized what he’d almost done. The sword fell to the floor with a clatter and he grabbed his brother by the shoulders and shook him. “Don’t you ever do something that stupid again.”

Then he pulled Marc into his arms and hugged him tight. His brother was all the family he had now and he would not let him go. They clung to each other and for a moment if felt as if they were both about five years of age, instead of grown men, and seeking comfort from each other after some small tragedy. But this was different. Like the death of their parents, this event would mark their life forever. Jarek released his brother and stepped back. “I’m sorry.”

Turning, he left the room, unable to face Marc anymore. He was ashamed of his outburst and for the fact that he’d almost hurt his brother, but mostly he was sorry he’d allowed Christina to slip through their grasp.

He made his way up to the battlements, seeking the peace and comfort of the night air. Striding to the wall, he wrapped his fingers around the edge, allowing the cold, jagged stone to dig into his hands, hoping his home could give him the grounding and comfort he needed.

“Why, Christina? Why did you leave and why didn’t I fight harder to make you want to stay?” His voice echoed through the night, the bright moon and stars seeming to mock his pain.

“I can’t answer the second question, but I can answer the first.”

He whirled around and searched the shadows, sure he had lost his mind and was now hearing her voice when she was no longer there. A slight movement to his right set him in motion and he grabbed at whoever was in the dark. A startled cry had him tugging the struggling form out into the light. The moonlight hit her hair first, making it shine. Disheveled and with tearstains on her face, Christina gazed up at him.

He frowned and his grip tightened, making her flinch. “Are you real?” Jarek eased his grip, but didn’t release her.

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“Yes, I’m real.” She quit trying to pull away from him. “I convinced myself that you wanted me to stay. I only hope I made the right decision.”

Her words struck him hard. She had stayed without knowing if he wanted her. She had stayed without knowing the depth of his feelings for her. The woman was amazing. If she was that brave, then he could not be a coward.

He went to one knee in front of her, bowed his head and placed his hand on his heart. “You are the heart that beats in this chest and in this home and if you would have me for husband I will give you my love, loyalty and devotion for as long as I live. With me, you gain the love, loyalty and devotion of my brother as well, who will be lover to you, and would also be your husband should I die before him. In return, I ask for your love, loyalty and devotion and any children that the gods see fit to gift us with.” His formal plea finished, he raised his eyes to her. “I have seen them in my mind.”

“Who?”

“Our children. Six strong, healthy boys and one beautiful girl.”

He caught her as she fell into his arms. Crying, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him wherever she could reach him. He scooped her into his arms, and sat with his back against the wall, cradling her close to his heart.

“Does that mean you will have me for your husband?”

Christina swiped her hand across her eyes and smiled up at him through luminous eyes. “Does that mean you love me?”

“Yes.”

“Then, yes. I’ll marry you and have your children.”

Jarek cupped her precious face in his hands. “You will never regret your choice.”

“I know.” Such love shone from her face, he was almost blinded by its purity. Capturing her lips, he sealed their bargain. He could feel his cock swelling against the silk of her nightgown and wanted her as naked as he was. He wanted to lay her on 118

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the cold stone and fuck her, claiming her for his own. The only thing stopping him was the look on his brother’s face earlier.

Marc. They had to find Marc and tell him.

Breaking away from her lips, he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose and her chin. Her hands stroked his chest and neck, pulling him closer.

“Marc,” he gasped out.

“What about Marc?”

“Yes, what about Marc?” They pulled apart when his voice came from the shadows. Jarek had never loved Christina more than that moment when she turned towards Marc’s voice and held out her hand. “There is always room for you, Marc.”

Marc came towards them with such a look of longing on his face that Jarek had to swallow back his own emotions.

Christina reached out, grabbed his hand, tugging him down until he was seated next to them. Still cradled in Jarek’s arms, she guided Marc’s head into her lap and stroked his hair before bending over to kiss him. Marc sighed with relief and kissed Christina back.

The three of them sat there until the sun was rising. It was only then that Marc got to his feet and waited until Jarek stood with Christina in his arms. Leading the way, Marc turned his back on the dawn and headed towards the stairs as the first noises of the waking castle reached them. First they would dress and then they would share the news.

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Chapter Fifteen

It was silly to feel nervous. After all, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t slept with Jarek before. But tonight was different. Tonight, they were man and wife and they would be alone in Jarek’s big bed. Christina didn’t feel bad for Marc, even though he gave her a hangdog look every time she glanced his way. Jarek had conceded Marc his one night a week last night because he wanted them to have an entire week alone together after the wedding.

Of course, that hadn’t stopped Jarek for sneaking into bed with them early this morning. The memory of that made her nipples tighten and push against the bodice of her beautiful new gold velvet gown.